Big gay country sequel

The continuing debate and struggle for marriage equality in Australia has inspired the filmmaker behind The Doctor’s Wife to follow up his critically acclaimed documentary with a sequel, now in production.

The Doctor’s Wife 2: Our Big Gay Country Wedding will look at the topic of marriage equality in Australia through the eyes of director Jonathan Duffy and his partner Vincent Cornelisse, who live in rural Queensland and are thinking about taking the next step in their relationship.

The success of the first film, which was picked up by numerous film festivals both in Australia and internationally, was a welcome surprise for Duffy. It had screenings in cities including Perth, Sydney, LA and Oregon.

The film also won the Award of Excellence in Filmmaking at the Canadian International Film Festival.

“That was a real surprise for me, mainly because I forgot I entered it, but also because they sent me a 3.5kg crystal award all the way from Canada. It’s really pretty.” Duffy told the Star Observer.

The idea for a sequel was given to Duffy by a fellow filmmaker during a screening of the first film at the Mardi Gras Film Festival. Duffy, until then, had no intentions of making a follow-up film.

“I told him that I had no interest in it and he was surprised. I remember him telling me… that our story was one that could be used to really explore the issue of marriage equality and that it would be a shame to miss that opportunity.”

Duffy hopes to bring a unique perspective and voice to the national marriage equality debate.

“One thing we’re really looking at in this film is giving a voice to those that are unheard on the issue,” he said.

“We feel that in order to understand how equality is to be achieved, we need to explore the issue from many angles. This will mean treading paths that others haven’t yet, and not necessarily seeking to speak with the ‘usual suspects’.”